Clavicle apparatus



June 2, 1931.

W. C. M DONALD CLAVICLE APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 5, 1928 INVENTOR.

MBCDON WM. C-

H is A TTORNEYS W. C. M DONALD June 2, i931 CLAYICLE APPARATUS 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan INVENTOR.

c, MaoDONAID His AT ORNEY? Patented June 2, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE? WILLIAM C. MACDONALD, F IVIIALID'EN, MASSACHUSETTS GLAVIGLE APPARATUS Application filed January 5, 1928. Serial No. 244,686.

'1! view the forcing of the shoulder joint on the injured side, backward, outward and upward. Such previously used devices are strips of adhesive tapes, and bandages. Both of these devices'are defective insofar as the arm is supported from and is subject to the movements of the shoulder of the uninjured side. Adhesive tapes slip and irritate the skin; they cannot be adjusted without removal; they confine the arm unnecessarily,

' and require frequent change and attention.

Bandages are less stablethan adhesive tapes; they slip readily from the shoulder, and they stretch easily andrequire daily attention.

My invention has among its several objects to provide a clavicle apparatus which fulfills all the requirements and eliminates all of the disadvantages of the'devices heretofore used; to provide such an apparatus which may be readily applied to either side of a person, and which may be readily adjusted to final position, or removed, and to provide such an apparatus which is simple in construction and cheap to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view which will more fully appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by following the description, the appended claims, and the several views illustrated in V I the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one form of my invention,

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the application of my invention,

. Figure 2 is a rear elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the forearm sling,

. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the metal 7 bow,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the elbow o sling,

. lower part of the front portion 5.

Figure 7 is a sectional view of the arm band and axilla pad, and I Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the arm band and the aXilla pad in separated relation. v Like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings;

Referring in detail to the accompanyingdrawings, A indicates the half' vest which is positioned on the sound side of the patient,

'13 the vest bow, C the arm band, D the axilla pad, E the elbow sling, and F the forearm sling, the arm band, pad, and both slings be-, ing associated with the arm oninjured side of the patient. I

The half-vest A'is formed of closely woven inelastic material and is constructed to provide a front portion 5, a rear portion 6, and: a connecting or shoulder portion 7,. theportions forming a resultant arm hole 8.1 The front and rear portionsare adjustably connected by upper and lower side straps 9, 10 secured to the rear portion by stitching and] cooperating upper'and lower buckles 11, 12 which are to loops 13, 14 stitched to the front portion. A pocket 15 extends upwardly from the lower edge of the front portion 5, thence over the shoulder portion 7 and then down-,, wardly along the rear portion 6 to the lower edge thereof, This pocket-is formed from an elongated strip 15 of material having its longitudinal edges infolded and'secured to the front, rear and shoulder portions of the vest by stitches. A belt 16 has one end attached to the lower inner edge of the rear portion 6, the free end bein adapted for engagement with a buckle 1 attached to 1 The U-shaped bow B which is inserted within the pocket 15 of the vest, is formed of steel or other'metal and is adapted to be bent or twisted to conform to the shape of the patient. f i V The arm band C isfo-rme'd' of woven inelastic material and is provided at one end witha metal loop 18 and at its other end with an inelasticstrap 1 9. The strap extend-s laterally across the patients back as shown in Fig. 2, and has its free end adjustably con-j nected to a buckle 20 secured to the rear portion 6 of the half-vest A.

The axilla pad D is detachably connected 3 to the arm band C by a pair of snap fasteners,

the headed parts 21, 21 thereof being attached to the band and the socket parts 22, 22 being attached to the pad. 7

The elbow sling E is formed of inelastic material and constructed to provide opposite front and rear side portions 23, 24 which are integrally united to form a substantially horizontal elbow supporting portion25 and a substantially vertical elbow supporting portion 26. The sling intermediate said portions 25 and 26 is formed with an opening 27 to fit the elbow. The front side portion 23 is provided with a pair of laterally extending upper and lower tabs 28, 29, and similarly the rear side portion 24 is provided with upper and lower tabs 30, 31. Attached to the ends of the front tabs are metal loops 32, 33,

i and extending from the ends of the rear tabs are upper and lower inelastic straps 34, 35 which extend laterally across the chest of the patient, as shown in Fig. 1, and have their ends adjustably' connected to lower and upper buckles 36, 37 attached to the front vest portion5 at different elevations. A strap 38 of inelastic material has one end attached to elastic material and is centrally folded to proa buckle 43 is attached to said strap. A supthe sling E at the horizontal elbow supporting portion 26. This strap extends-upwardly at an angle across the back of the patient and has its end adj ustably connected to a buckle 39 attached to the upper part of the rear portion 6 of the vest.

The forearm sling F .is also formed of invide opposite front and back side portions 40, 41. The upperends of the side portions porting inelastic strap or hanger 44 has its patient in any desired position.

upper end attached to the upper part of the front vest portion 5 and the lower; free end of the strap is adjustablyconnected with the buckle 43 for supporting the forearm of the An inelastic strap 45 similar to thestrap 44 is attached at its upper end to the upper part of the rear portion '6 of the vest, thereby permitting the parts'of my apparatus to be read- 7 ily appliedto either side of a patient. i

In applying'my apparatus to a patient, the metal bow B is bent and twisted, if'neces-' sary, to fit the contour of the chest. The bow is then inserted within the pocket 15 of the half-vest A, the side straps '9, 10am; being buckled during the insertion. The half-vest A is then placed on the sound side ofthe patient, andthe side straps 9, 10 andvthebelt 16 are then tightened until the vest and the bow lit the side' of the chest. Thearm band C is then positioned around the upper arm on the patients injured side, and the strap 19 is a then extended across the back and connected with the buckle 20. The axilla pad D is positioned under said arm and attached by the fasteners 21, 22 to the arm band C. The elbow sling E is then applied to said arm and secured in position by the front straps 34, 35 and the rear strap 38. During the application of the elbow sling E the elbow is moved slightly inwardly and forwardly in order to throw the shoulder backwardly and outwardly. V Sufficient tension is given to the front diagonal strap 35 and "to the rear strap 38 to lift the injured shoulder about one inch higher than the opposite side. Theforearm sling F isthen adjusted in any desired position. All straps are then readjusted, if necessary, using only sufficient tension to keep the shoulder of the injured side in the desired position. b I v From the foregoing it will be observed that I have provided a half-vest having a 1116 531585 bow which affords fixed points for the at tachment and support of the arm band, elbow sling and forearm sling; that the bow is not supported by the shoulder but is fixed to the side of the chest below the shoulder joint po and that the bow when properly bent does not touch the shoulder but allows free movement of the arm on the well side without disturbing the various adjustments; that the arm band C may be positioned accura tely 95 and firmly, serves to hold the shoulder backward, and affords attachmentfor the axilla pad D that the elbow sling E serves to hold the'elbow inwardly and upwardly'in a most the forearm sling F may be raised or lowered I independently of the other parts, 'or may be removed from the arm when the'patient is lying down so as to permit the arm to be straightened and thereby prevent stiffness 01%;."105 the elbow joint. p

' It is of course to be understood that the details of structure and arrangements of parts maybe variously changed and modified withoutdeparting' from the spirit and scope ofql lo my invention. e-

1. In a clavicleapparatus, the combination with a half-vest adapted for application to the side of the patient opposite the broken:- 11 5 clavicle, said half-vest including frontand rear side portions and a connecting shoulder portion, and adjustable straps connecting said front a'nd rear side portions along'the lower portions of their edges at the outer'il side to form an arm opening, aninverted U-shaped'metal bow attached to the half-vest and positioned over the patients shoulder and engaging thebodyof the patient. at front and back with its free ends to relieve the?'-. half vest fitted shoulderfof support pull.

means for retaining-the halfevest" against to the half-vest for supporting and retaining the injured shoulder in a plane higher than the other shoulder.

2. In a clavicle apparatus, the combination with a half-vest adapted for application to the side of the patient opposite the broken clavicle, an inverted U-shaped metal bow attached to the half-vest and positioned over the patients shoulder and engaging the body of the patient at front and back with its free ends to relieve the half-vest fitted shoulder of support pull, means for retaining the halfvest against movement while in position, and means engaging the arm of the patient on the injured side and adjustably connected at fixed points to the half-vest for supporting and retaining the injured shoulder in a plane higher than the other shoulder.

3. In a clavicle apparatus, the combination with a half-vest adapted for application to the side of the patient opposite the broken clavicle, of means for retaining the half-vest against movement while in position, an elbow sling adapted for application to the arm of the patient on the injured side, a single adjustable strap connected to the elbow sling and passing diagonally upward across the back of the patient and connected at a high point to the half-vest, and two adjustable straps connected at high and low points respectively at the front of the elbow sling and passing across the front of the patient and attached at low and high points respectively to the half-vest for moving the elbow inwardly and forwardly to throw the injured shoulder backwardly and outwardly and to elevate and retain the injured shoulder a slight distance above the other shoulder.

4. In a clavicle apparatus, the combination with a half-vest adapted for application to the side of the patient opposite the broken clavicle, of means for retaining the half-vest against movement while in position, an elbow-- sling adapted for application to the arm of the patient on the injured side, an arm band adapted for application to the arm of the patient on the injured side, an axilla pad attached to said arm band, and in inelastic strap extending across the patients back from the arm band and having adjustable connection with the half-vest for drawing-the shoulder backward, a single adjustable strap connected to the elbow sling and passing diagonally upward across the back of the patient and connected at a high point to the half-vest, and two adjustable straps connected at high and low points respectively at the front of the elbow sling and passing across the front of the patient and attached at low and high points respectively to the half-vest for moving the elbow inwardly and forwardly to throw the injured shoulder backwardly and outwardly and to elevate and retain the injured shoulder a slight distance above the other shoulder.

adapted for application to the arm of the patient on the injured side, an axilla pad attached to said arm band, and an inelastic strap extending across the patients back from the arm band and having adjustable connection with the half-vest for drawing the shoulder backward, a single adjustable strap connected to the elbow sling and passing diagonally upward across the back of the patient and connected at a high point to the halfvest, and two adjustable straps connected at high and low points respectively at the front of the elbow sling and passing across the front of the patient and attached at low and high points respectively to the half-vest for moving the elbow inwardly and forwardly to throw the injured shoulder backwardly and outwardly and to elevate and retain the injured shoulder a slight distance above the other shoulder, and a forearm sling detachably and adjustably supported from said half-vest.

6. In a clavicle apparatus wherein is provided a support body mountable over the sound shoulder, and means for supporting the injured member therefrom, an inverted U- shaped bow carried by the support body and disposed to press against the chest and back of the wearer at its free ends alone thereby to relieve the said sound shoulder of support pulls.

7. In aclavicle apparatus, a half-vest comprising front and back rectangular portions joined at their upper ends and along the lower portions of their edges at the outer side to form an arm opening through the upper part of those edges, and open at the inner side and lower edges to form a body receiving opening, said half-vest having a receiving pocket formed therein and extending down front and back portions and over their joined ends, and an inverted U-shaped bow removably mounted in the pocket with its free ends alone disposed to press against the chest and back of the wearer, lieve the half-Vest fitted shoulder of support whereby to repull, a strap secured to and depending verti- 

